


dolcemente

by desiderium (credens_justitiam)



Category: OMORI (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Fluff, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:08:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29546313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/credens_justitiam/pseuds/desiderium
Summary: sforzando -  make a strong, sudden accentsyncopation - a placement of rhythmic stresses or accents where they wouldn't normally occurLately, Sunny didn’t know what to think. There was an awful lot more pink stuff in the Othermart, like flowers and balloons, and the candy store was practically bursting with cute-looking sweets. Valentine’s Day always came and went the same way in the ten years Sunny was old enough to know what it was. But for some reason that escaped his understanding, this year’s Valentine’s Day… didn’t. Wouldn’t.
Relationships: Basil/Sunny (OMORI)
Comments: 48
Kudos: 275





	1. sforzando

**Author's Note:**

> just a cute sunnflower valentine's day fic! please pretend it's still valentine's day and that it's still going to be valentine's day when I get the next chapter out... oh, and happy birthday to basil! jdfhskjhf

Lately, Sunny didn’t know what to think. There was an awful lot more pink stuff in the Othermart, like flowers and balloons, and the candy store was practically bursting with cute-looking sweets. His parents were planning on driving out of town for a night like they did every year, leaving their home to Mari and Sunny. Their father would also warn Mari to stay at home that night, and not to go over to Kel and Hero’s house. Mari would always pout but not protest, then insist on making chocolates to share with each other.

_“Not all love is romantic, Sunny!” Mari would cheerfully remind him. “I’m making this chocolate just as sweet as you.”_

Then they’d spend the evening watching movies, though Sunny would always bury his face into Mari’s shoulder whenever the couples kissed on screen. He never really liked those scenes. He never understood how two hours was enough for the characters to like-like each other enough, as Mari put it, to kiss. But he enjoyed her company nonetheless.

Valentine’s Day always came and went the same way in the ten years Sunny was old enough to know what it was. But for some reason that escaped his understanding, this year’s Valentine’s Day… didn’t. Wouldn’t.

It all had started with a routine hangout. The weather was too cold to have their usual picnics outside, so everyone gathered in Sunny’s house for lunch. In the year that Hero and Mari were gone for college, the gang realized that they had taken Hero’s amazing cooking skills for granted. They couldn’t rely on Gino’s pizzas forever, so they proceeded to spend many of their hangouts turning the kitchen into a disaster zone in an attempt to feed themselves. Basil was the only one who had any amount of cooking sense, so Kel, Aubrey, and Sunny were relegated to prepwork and cleanup.

This time, Sunny was in charge of chopping the onions. They would be the base for the hearty chicken noodle soup they’d be eating on this cold February afternoon. He swiftly chopped the onion lengthwise, then rotated it ninety degrees to dice them into little cubes. 

_Chop, chop, chop, chop._

The rhythm was comforting to him. Inadvertently he began counting each chop like a beat in a song. 

_Chop, chop, chop, chop._

_One, two, three, four._

_One, two, three, four._

_One, two, three, four..._

Kel approached him from behind, looking over his shoulder. “Wow, Sunny. I know I say this every time, but you’re so good with a knife. It’s super neat!”

“Right?” Aubrey echoed while cutting the carrots. Then she snickered. “You’re such a disaster in comparison, Kel.”

“I’m not that bad! I’m doing my job of measuring the water just fine! Right, Sunny?”

Sunny couldn’t exactly agree—Kel had left the stock pot in the sink with the tap on full blast. He glanced at the pot as the water rapidly approached overfilling but otherwise kept chopping the onions.

Basil giggled softly, sounding like windchimes in the breeze. “Well, we do need a lot of water if we’re going to feed all of us. Kel usually likes getting seconds anyways.” 

Aubrey finally had the sense to walk over and shut the tap off. “Urgh, this looks so heavy. I guess we’re all getting seconds and thirds. Kel, help me take it out.”

“Aughhh, do I have to? It looks like it weighs a ton.”

“It’s your fault it’s like this!”

As Kel and Aubrey bickered, Basil turned to Sunny.

“Can you cut the garlic, Sunny?”

When Sunny nodded, Basil set a few cloves of garlic onto the cutting board. “I can’t wait for my own garlic plants to be ready to harvest. I planted them just a bit after Hero and Mari left for college, so they should be ready to harvest when they come back for spring break. Think about all the good uses Hero would have for it...”

“Yeah,” Sunny agreed quietly.

As Basil talked, Sunny began peeling the cloves one by one. The task proved to be rather difficult—he kept his nails short so they wouldn’t get in the way when he practiced, but he didn’t like how bits of garlic stuck underneath his nails. He began to dread having his hands stink of garlic for hours, but he figured that was just a small price to pay for the delicious soup they’d have for later.

“Oh, Sunny, hang on. There’s a better way to do it—let me show you.”

Basil took the garlic clove from his hands and set it against the board. “My grandma… She taught me that you can get the skin off really easily if you just crush it with the flat part of the knife. Here, like this.”

Basil pressed the palm of his hand firmly into the flat part of the blade and crushed the clove in one swift movement. Then he picked the skin away in two strips. When Sunny moved to do the same, Basil grabbed his wrist and guided his hands onto the knife. It was such a simple gesture, but for some reason, Sunny felt like he couldn’t breathe. Why?

As Sunny hesitated, Basil smiled beside him.

“I know it might be scary to put your hand directly on the blade. I was scared too, when my grandma showed me. But you’re not touching the sharp part, so you won’t get hurt. You got this, Sunny.”

Sunny could feel his heart beat faster and faster. It was like he was getting a fever. Basil was standing right next to him, arms around him, hand on top of his as Sunny laid a hand on the blade of the knife. He wasn’t scared of cutting himself, but there was still something that made him feel lightheaded.

_Deep breaths,_ Mari would say. _You got this, Sunny._

Sunny took two deep breaths, trying not to think of the way his back touched Basil just a bit more closely when he did. Whatever this feeling in his chest was, it shouldn’t prevent him from doing this one simple thing with a knife. He could stamp it out of his mind just as easily as he could crush the garlic clove that laid underneath the knife. So he swiftly pressed his palm into the flat of the blade and crushed it.

Basil stepped around him to inspect the clove. True to his words, Sunny was able to pick the skin off with ease. As Sunny discarded it, Basil beamed.

“See? I knew you could do it. You’re so good at this.”

Apparently, the feeling that made Sunny’s heart feel all fluttery didn’t get crushed along with the garlic. If anything, it only grew more, spreading up his throat and up to his ears. He could feel his knees grow a little weak.

Basil paused, studying his face in concern. Sunny instantly looked away, his pulse quickening. Somehow, having Basil this close to him, looking at him with those round, green eyes of his and biting his lips… 

“Sunny? Are you okay? Do you need to sit down?”

Both Kel and Aubrey paused their bickering when they heard Basil’s worried tone. 

Aubrey asked, “Sunny? What’s up? You look a little red in the face.”

“Yeah, what’s up? I can take over garlic duty if you need,” Kel offered.

Sunny’s skin began to prickle. He wasn’t as bad at dealing with having multiple people staring at him and questioning him all at once as he was when he was younger, but nonetheless he grew uneasy. He stiffly shook his head.

“I’m fine,” he managed. He still felt his friends were unconvinced, so to prove it, he started to mince the garlic. 

_Chop, chop, chop, chop._

_Chop, chop, chop, chop._

He was chopping faster now, matching the rapid beating of his heart.

“Sunny…”

Even when worried, Basil’s voice sounded musical. When Sunny made the mistake of glancing over at him, Basil was worrying his lip even more. For some reason, Sunny mentally conjured the image of the Valentine’s Day displays at the Othermart. Were Basil’s lips always this pink? Or just when he was biting them?

The thoughts that swirled in Sunny’s head made his hands unsteady. Like skipping a note, his chopping lost the steady cadence he had when he was cutting the onions.

“Sunny!” 

It hadn’t even registered to him before Basil called his name in alarm. Only when the knife clattered against the cutting board did Sunny realize Basil had a tight grip on his wrist, keeping his bleeding finger aloft.

His bleeding finger. His bleeding, stinging finger.

“A-Aubrey, or Kel, ahh, one of you go get the first aid kit!”

“Roger!”

Both of them almost tripped over themselves to get to the bathroom. Sunny could hear their footsteps pounding away on the stairs.

Basil brought Sunny back to the situation in front of him with his voice. “L-Let’s rinse it out before they come back, okay?”

As Basil carefully washed his finger, Sunny also realized that the onions and the garlic together smelled really strong. Strong enough to make his eyes water, if he inhaled too deeply.

“Sorry, sorry, I know it hurts,” Basil apologized frantically. “But it’ll be all over in a second, I promise!”

“It’s not bad,” Sunny mumbled. He really meant it—it was a shallow cut. Most of the sting came from the juices left on the blade, and they were already going down the drain thanks to Basil. 

But Basil only pursed his lips and looked more guilty, despite Sunny’s attempt at reassurance. Seeing Basil upset was never a good thing, but here it made Sunny’s throat feel especially tight.

Before Sunny could dwell on it too long, twin sets of footsteps pounded down the stairs and in the entrance hall. A moment later, Aubrey and Kel burst into the kitchen, first aid kit in hand.

“First aid!” Aubrey set the kit on the counter and opened it.

“Bandages!” Kel shouted. He took out the bandage roll and tossed it to Basil. “Here, Basil!”

Basil yelped and let go of Sunny’s hand to catch the bandage. As Basil fumbled with it and Aubrey scolded Kel for not handing it normally, Sunny felt an acute sense of loss. Absently he rubbed at his eye with his free hand, but he only realized once it was too late that he still had some onion juice on it. Now, on top of trying to prove that his finger didn’t hurt as badly as his friends thought, he also had to pretend like he wasn’t crying because of the onions.

“Wait,” Aubrey said, passing them a tube. “Put some ointment on it first. That’ll help it hurt less.”

“Ah, yeah,” Basil agreed. He unscrewed the cap and applied the clear gel to Sunny’s finger. 

While Basil did that, Sunny realized just how much of a predicament he was in. His eyes still stung from the onions, and it was getting worse by the second. He hoped that nobody noticed just how much his eyes began to water. If he could just run into the bathroom, he could wash his eyes out, but then everyone would just worry more. 

There was also the issue of Basil still holding his hands. Sunny tried to ignore how having Basil’s hands over his made his stomach feel all fluttery and weak. Unable to break free, he just stayed put and hoped that the worst wouldn’t happen. But his eyes were really, really stinging...

As Sunny was blinking rapidly, Basil wrapped his finger just as carefully. “There, it’s done. How are you feeling?”

At that point, the stinging became too much. The tears welled up against Sunny’s will. To his friends’ shock and horror, they began to spill out from his eyes.

“Sunny, oh no, don’t cry!” Aubrey cried. She leapt over to his side, like she wanted to hug him, but she stopped just short. Her hands hovered nervously near his arm. “It’ll be okay, the worst is over! Right?”

“Yeah!” Kel agreed. “Here, let me kiss it to make it feel better! Hero always did that for me whenever I got a booboo!”

As Kel leaned in, puckering his lips, Aubrey pushed him back with a hand to his forehead. 

“No way! What if it gets infected?”

“I wouldn’t infect him! I brush my teeth at least twice a day!” Kel said indignantly. “And if I can’t, why don’t you do it?”

Aubrey flushed. “I-I can’t do that, I have a girlfriend…” she stammered.

“What’s Kim gonna do? Get jealous? She’s not even here!”

Finally Basil cut in. “Come on, you two, don’t fight… Sunny’s still hurt.”

Still blushing, Aubrey went, “Basil, why don’t you do it then? Since both Kel and I can’t.”

It was Basil’s turn to blush. He turned his attention towards Sunny. “Oh! Well, I-I could, if um, if that’s alright with you… Sunny?”

Sunny could feel himself grow warm under his friends’ gaze. He could feel a tear trace a hot trail down his cheek, trickling uncomfortably towards his chin. He just wanted the day to be over… but he also didn’t want Basil to stop holding his hand. How did things turn out to be this way? Everything was going normally until Basil showed him how to hold his palm to the knife with his own hand. Something changed in that moment, but Sunny didn’t know what. It was frustrating, but he couldn’t think about it now. His friends were still waiting for his response.

Sunny swallowed. Things would probably end quicker if he said no, but he didn’t have the willpower to form the word with his mouth. Instead, he gave a quick, stiff nod.

Basil’s eyes widened. His face grew pink. “Ah! O-Okay!” 

He raised Sunny’s finger to his mouth. Before Sunny knew what was happening, Basil leaned in and barely brushed the bandage against his lips. Then he dropped his hand and jolted back as if he was burned.

For a moment, nobody spoke, and Sunny was too busy staring a hole into a kitchen cabinet to look at anyone’s expressions. All he could feel was a slight tingling in his finger and heat in his face.

Then Kel broke the silence. “Feel better now, Sunny? It worked, right?”

Sunny wasn’t looking at Aubrey, but he could hear her stifle what sounded like a giggle. Was she laughing?

“I’ll bet,” Aubrey said, with just a bit of a lilt to her voice. “But just in case, Basil, do you wanna try again? Maybe Sunny didn’t feel it the first time. You know, since you did it so quickly.”

Basil squawked. “I-I— I gotta go to the bathroom!”

Just like that, Basil turned and fled.

“Is he okay?” Kel asked.

Aubrey puffed air out of her nose. “You should go check on him,” she said. “I’ll stay with Sunny.”

“Okay!” Kel agreed. He usually complained whenever Aubrey told him to do something, but he didn’t put up any resistance this time. He headed over to the counter where they left the first aid kit. 

“I’ll take this back too. You look after him real good!”

Then Kel was gone, leaving Sunny alone with Aubrey. He tried to avoid Aubrey’s gaze but she stepped into his view anyway. Her knowing smile made his ears burn.

“So… what was that, Sunny?” she asked coyly.

“Nothing,” Sunny said quickly.

“Are you suuure? Kel’s probably too dense to realize, but I think you felt a little something-something when Basil kissed your finger. Am I right?”

Sunny shook his head rapidly, feeling more heat crawl into his face. Aubrey was right, but there was no way he could admit it.

Aubrey looked like she was going to tease him more, but then decided against it. She went to the sink, dampened a paper towel, and gave it to him to wipe his face. He took it gratefully. 

“It’s okay, Sunny. I’m not making fun of you. You kind of remind me of how I acted before I asked Kim out. Just—think about it, okay? How Basil makes you feel.”

Sunny swallowed. His mouth struggled to turn his thoughts into words.

“I don’t know how I feel,” was all he could manage. He liked Basil, but he could say that about all his friends, about Mari. He liked holding hands with everyone, hugging them, but… He began to crinkle the paper towel in his hands.

“It’s okay,” Aubrey said again. She smiled, gently now. “Why don’t you ask Mari for advice? She’ll know what to do. Because I think Basil definitely likes you too.”

Sunny’s heart did a big whump in his chest. Ignoring the ‘too’ part, Basil liking him couldn’t be true, could it? Not any more than anyone else in their friend group. But Aubrey wouldn’t just lie to him like that, either. At any rate, Sunny didn’t want her to be lying.

Kel came back into the kitchen, sparing Sunny from having to respond. “We’re back!”

...But with Basil there, Sunny felt all jittery again. He quickly looked away, towards the kitchen sink.

Aubrey turned to Basil. “Are you feeling better now?”

Basil’s response was nervous. “Ah, haha, yeah. Um, how are you?”

“I’m fine, and so is Sunny. So it doesn’t look like he needs another kiss to feel better.” Aubrey stifled a laugh. “Yet.”

“Aubrey…” Basil whispered. He sounded strained.

“Yet?” Kel repeated, confused.

Aubrey laughed. “It’s nothing. We should probably get started on the soup, right?”

“Right!” Kel agreed. “But maybe it’d be better if Sunny sat the rest of the prepwork out. Don’t worry, I’ll be a great replacement chef for you!”

Just like that, things went back to normal, or as normal as things could get. Sunny spent the rest of the afternoon in a haze of his thoughts, his mind shuffling between the slight sting of his finger, the Othermart candy aisle, and the feeling of Basil’s hand gripping his own.


	2. syncopation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hector! Sunny!” Kel called. 
> 
> Upon hearing Kel’s voice, Sunny’s heart skipped a beat. He wasn’t exactly trying to keep his plan a secret, but it was embarrassing to be caught anyways. The pink hearts on the candy shop bag seemed extra incriminating.

Aubrey had told Sunny to ask Mari for advice, but he felt he already had a suitable plan in mind. It was the morning of Valentine’s Day and Sunny had already executed the first half: getting a box of milk chocolate from the Othermart to make chocolate. He didn’t really like going there and facing Miss Candice alone. She had been especially overbearing today when she lectured him about “buying last-minute gifts.” But he was done and heading home.

As he passed in front of Kel’s and Hero’s house, he had a familiar bark. Hector began running up to him in leaps and bounds. A few years ago, he would’ve completely bowled him over, but Sunny kept his ground.

“Hector! Sunny!” Kel called. 

Upon hearing Kel’s voice, Sunny’s heart skipped a beat. He wasn’t exactly trying to keep his plan a secret, but it was embarrassing to be caught anyways. The pink hearts on the candy shop bag seemed extra incriminating.

When Sunny didn’t move, Kel came up to him. He gave a few scratches to Hector before gently shooing him off. 

“Whatcha got there, Sunny? Were you getting sweets without me?”

Sunny took a quick, nervous breath. “No.”

“You don’t gotta act all nervous! I’m just joking, it’s not like you have to share with me or anything like that.” Kel laughed. “Anyways, how’s your finger? Is it healing okay?”

Being reminded of it made Sunny think about Basil gently tending to his cut, and the barest press of his lips against the bandages. The weight of the chocolate in his bag grew a lot heavier.

“Sunny?” Kel asked, concerned. “Are you okay? You look a little pink.”

“I’m fine,” Sunny mumbled.

Then Kel looked like a light bulb went off in his head. “Oh, I think I get it! You’re gonna give a thank-you gift to Basil for Valentine’s Day. It’s today, isn’t it?”

Hearing that, Sunny’s heart stuttered. Aubrey had said that Kel was too dense to realize it, but he was close enough to make him panic. Sunny looked away towards the fence.

“That’s super cool! Thanking him for the other day and all,” Kel said. 

Sunny nodded, too embarrassed to elaborate.

Kel sighed with a look of happy nostalgia on his face. “You usually make chocolate with Mari around this time, right? The chocolate you two made was always the best. It’s too bad she’s at school and can’t join you, but it’s super neat that you’re continuing the tradition.”

When Kel said that, it made Sunny pause. He looked at the candy bag in his hand. Ever since Mari and Hero went to college, the remaining members of their friend group continued their traditions. Their picnics and hang outs in the treehouse were two of those traditions, but it was still too cold to have them. Sunny was originally planning to just make the chocolates himself, but he figured things were more fun with a friend. And if Kel was right here...

“Do you wanna… join me?” Sunny offered.

Immediately, Kel’s eyes lit up. “Do I? Heck yeah I do! Let’s go!”

Together they went into Sunny’s house. Kel kicked his shoes off and ran into the kitchen. When Sunny followed, Kel was poking through Mari’s candy kit and pulled out a bag of pink candies.

“Oh, you already have some stuff out! What’s this?”

“Candy melts. You microwave them and put them into molds,” Sunny explained. It was a simple enough way to make chocolates; without Mari’s or Hero’s cooking expertise, they were basically limited to using the microwave melt-and-pour method.

Sunny gestured with a bowl. “Can you…”

“Sure thing!” 

Kel took a handful of the candy melts, dumped them into the bowl, and chucked them into the microwave. He jabbed a couple of buttons and started it. While he did that, Sunny started to lay the rest of the chocolate on the cutting board. He was about to start cutting it up, but then something made him pause. Their microwave had a button that automatically set to thirty seconds, which only needed to be pressed once. He and Mari never needed the full thirty seconds when they made chocolates.

Sunny asked, “how long did you put it on?”

“Like…” Kel looked at the microwave from his spot on the kitchen counter. “Two minutes?”

That was definitely longer than thirty seconds. Sunny quickly walked to the microwave and stopped it before the candy melts could burn. Tentatively he opened the door. A small hiss emanated from the microwave when he did; the candy melts had become a bubbling pink ooze around the edges, but the center thankfully hadn’t burned too much.

Kel peered over his shoulder and laughed awkwardly. “Oops. I was just trying to get them melty, sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Sunny tilted the bowl. The melted candy ran slowly around the sides. It still looked usable. “It… _is_ melty.”

Kel beamed. “You want me to pour them into the molds?”

Sunny nodded.

Kel went back over to Mari’s candy kit and rummaged through it. “There are a couple of molds, which one did you wanna use? How about the one with the hearts?”

Just thinking about giving Basil heart-shaped stuff made Sunny feel embarrassed. 

“No...” he mumbled.

Kel nodded. “Yeah, they’re kinda too cutesy for thank-you chocolates. They’re more Aubrey’s speed, you feel? I bet she’d do something like this for Kim.”

He clasped his hands together and twirled around on one foot. “Oh, my beloved Kimmykinz, I made you these heart-shaped chocolates~! I love you soooo much!”

Sunny laughed quietly, but as Kel began making kissy noises toward him, he realized Kel was talking to him like he was Kim. He could only protest half-heartedly as Kel enveloped him in a bone-crushing hug. His feet left the ground as Kel shook him back and forth.

Sunny felt like a ragdoll. He didn’t hate Kel’s signature bear hugs, but his face was completely smushed into Kel’s shirt. Though he wasn’t too sweaty, the scent of his deodorant was on the strong side. 

Sunny tolerated it for a few seconds longer before he finally went, “Kel…” 

“Okie dokie, putting you down!” Kel said. He gently set him down on the floor with a small _thump_. “Just wanted to cheer you up! It looked like something was bothering you, so…” 

Kel smiled sheepishly. Sunny was smoothing his hair out when he looked back at Mari’s candy kit. The sight of it made him pause. For some reason, his mind began to flood with doubts. Was this okay? Could he convey his feelings properly? What did he even feel? Sunny had no way to answer any of those questions.

The most pressing worry on his mind, though, rose to his mouth before he could stop himself.

“Will Basil like them?”

“Of course he’d like them!” Kel exclaimed. “He’d like anything you’d make for him.”

“That’s true…” Sunny mumbled. He knew that, but it didn’t exactly make him less anxious. He could give Basil a lump of coal and Basil would still thank him. He was just that type of person. But it was the matter of giving him something that made Sunny’s hands feel clammy. 

“Sunny.” Kel went over and clapped a firm hand to his shoulder. When he looked up, Kel’s face was earnest. “It’ll be okay. You can’t regret something before you do it. We already know Basil would appreciate something like this, so all you gotta do is your best!”

Kel smiled encouragingly. “Right?”

Sunny mulled it over. His worries whirled around him and threatened to bowl him over, but Kel’s hand kept him grounded. All Sunny had to do was his best. He wasn’t sure what that looked like or if it was even possible, but if it was possible…

Sunny nodded. “Right.”

“Yeah!” Kel cheered. He raised his hand. “Let’s keep going then! Up top!”

Sunny high-fived Kel’s outstretched hand. The resulting _slap_ made his palm tingle afterwards, but his mind felt clear for the rest of the time it took to make the chocolates.

* * *

Then Sunny was at the block where Basil’s house stood, and he felt like either running away or passing out on the spot. Considering that Kel was blocking his path, passing out seemed like the more feasible option.

“Sunny, you can’t give up now!” Kel pleaded. “Think about your thank-you chocolates! We worked so hard on them!”

He was gently pushing him closer to Basil’s house, but Sunny dug his heels in further. He knew that Kel respected his comfort zone enough to not just drag him to his doorstep, but even Kel’s patience had its limits. Sunny was going up to his door eventually, inch by painful inch. He was just delaying the inevitable.

“What if he doesn’t like it?” Sunny mumbled. He wasn’t seriously asking, but it slipped out anyway.

Kel groaned. “We’ve been over that already, haven’t we? He definitely will!”

His pushing became more insistent. “But he can’t like something if he doesn’t know it exists! So… Come on, full speed ahead! For the sake of your thank-you chocolates!”

Sunny shook his head. Kel had been calling them thank-you chocolates and Sunny had been too embarrassed to correct him earlier, but he figured he had to say something now. Even if it would dig his grave deeper.

“They’re not… just thank-you chocolates.”

Kel stopped pushing for a second. “They’re not?”

“They’re for Valentine’s Day.”

“Well, I know it’s today, but…” Kel trailed off. Then he looked like he got struck by lightning. “Wait, so you like-like Basil?!”

Sunny’s stomach did a flip. They were right in front of Basil’s house and Kel was shouting, what if he heard? What if he came out right now and asked what was wrong? He was not menally prepared at all for that.

“Loud,” was all Sunny could whisper.

“Sorry!” Kel apologized in a whisper-shout. “But, you have a crush on Basil?”

Heat flooded into Sunny’s ears. He nodded stiffly. 

“That’s really cute!” Kel grinned widely. “So that’s what these chocolates were for. But, man, you should’ve told me earlier, I would’ve tried to make them a little neater…”

Then he shook his head. “Wait, that’s not the point. If these are Valentine’s Day chocolates, then you definitely gotta give them today!”

Sunny’s head felt like it was underwater. His mind was replaying Kel’s earlier words. “It’s cute?” he echoed.

Kel blinked. “Well, yeah! I’d ask for the details now, but you gotta go confess first. I’m sure he feels the same way.”

Sunny opened his mouth to object, but the sound of a door opening made the words dry up in his throat.

Basil stood in the doorway. “Kel? Sunny? What’s up?”

Kel froze. “Uh… Oh! Shoot! I forgot I had… Basketball practice! After school today! So I gotta go! Bye Basil, bye Sunny!”

He cupped a hand to his mouth and whispered to Sunny, “you got this! Go get ‘em, tiger!”

Then Kel sprinted away, leaving Sunny behind.

“But… today’s Sunday. There’s no school today,” Basil said. He shook his head and laughed quietly to himself for a second, then turned his attention back to Sunny. “Anyways, what brings you here? What are you holding?”

Sunny wanted to leave, but considering that Kel already did, it’d look too suspicious. Besides, he’d have to face Basil at school tomorrow. Though, depending on how this turned out, he might have to take the day off.

Sunny took a deep, shaky breath. He walked up to the doorstep and stuck out the bag. 

“Chocolates.” He was never good with words, but Basil understood what he meant without him having to say it, always.

“Oh, that’s really nice! Who are they for?” Basil asked.

...Not always. Maybe Sunny shouldn’t expect others to read his mind. Mari would say something about communicating clearly. So he tried again.

“They’re for you. I…” Sunny swallowed. “I like you.”

Then, because he remembered how Kel mistook them for thank-you chocolates, he quickly added, “Because… It’s Valentine’s Day. So...”

For a moment, Basil didn’t respond. Then Sunny blinked, and suddenly the door slammed shut in his face.

Sunny’s heart sank. He wasn’t an expert on relationships, but he’d seen enough rom-coms to know a rejection when he saw one. He wanted to be in bed right now and pull the covers up to block out the world. But that meant walking all the way back to his house and up the stairs. He didn’t even have the strength in his legs to stand. So he just took a seat on the doorstep.

As he sat, Basil’s voice rang out nervously from behind the door. “H-Haha! Sorry! I just, I just remembered I had to get the mail!”

“But it’s Sunday,” Sunny echoed miserably. “No post on Sundays.”

“I-It _is_ Sunday! But I—I forgot to take the mail out yesterday, so there should still be some in the mailbox still! I’m gonna get it right now!”

“But you’re inside.”

“I _am_ inside… haha…” Basil giggled. He sounded shaky. “Um… Sunny. I’m sorry, I need a minute. Please… Please don’t go.”

He still kind of wanted to go, but if Basil wanted him to stay, then he supposed he had to. So continued to sit hunched on the stone step. A breeze began to blow—Sunny didn’t realize that the sun was setting, but he realized just how chilly it was. He was half-prepared for the cool weather in his sweater and pants, but he didn’t expect to be outside for more than a few minutes. But on the subject of expectations: what _was_ Sunny expecting? Did he expect Basil to return his feelings? How would Basil be able to do that, if Sunny was so bad at voicing them? If he didn’t even know how exactly he felt? Each second felt like an eternity as these thoughts threatened to swallow him whole.

But right in the midst of it all, his friends’ voices rang out in his head.

 _I think Basil definitely likes you too,_ Aubrey's voice rang out. She gave him a wet paper towel and a kind smile.

Kel’s was next. _I’m sure he feels the same way._ He offered a high-five.

The mental sound of Kel high-fiving him snapped Sunny back into the present just in time to hear the door opening again. 

“Sunny! I’m—I’m glad you’re still here.” Basil laughed nervously. “Not that I thought you’d leave! Just, um…”

Basil stepped out and lowered himself to sit on the doorstep with him. For some reason, it looked like he was careful not to show his hands, which were behind his back.

“I’m sorry I slammed the door on you. You just surprised me, that’s all.”

Sunny shook his head. Basil didn’t need to apologize.

“No, no, I shouldn’t have. But more importantly… it _is_ Valentine’s Day. Just like you said, right?” Basil asked.

Sunny nodded. He didn’t trust his mouth to speak. And even if he could, what would he even say? His stomach was still sinking like a rock in a lake, but even as his mind told him to let it go, he couldn’t help but notice how nicely the light of the setting sun made Basil’s hair glow. His heart panged.

“W-Well… I just wanted…” Basil bit his lip, hesitating for a moment. Then he went, “you’re so brave, Sunny. Much braver than me.”

What did that mean? Sunny tilted his head.

“B-Because, you see, um…” Basil shifted, and brought out a brown box from behind his back. It was a small, square box tied with a simple yellow ribbon. He offered it with trembling hands.

“I m-made you something too. But I… I was too scared to bring it to you. I was just gonna throw it away but then… you showed up with a gift of your own.”

Sunny could barely believe what he was seeing and hearing. Did he dare get his hopes up? 

Basil gave a shaky smile. “I slammed the door on you because I was so panicked, but seeing you always makes me feel like I can be brave. So… yeah.”

Basil offered the box again. Sunny felt that was his cue to accept. He took it and turned it over, looking at it from all angles. He slowly pulled on the ribbon to open it. When he did, he was greeted by little strawberries dipped in chocolate and decorated with delicate stripes of icing. When he tried one, sweet and tart burst on his tongue. It was delicious.

“Do you like them?” Basil asked anxiously.

Sunny nodded. “Thank you,” he mumbled. 

He could scarcely get the words out, but they were out there now. The way that Basil smiled wider upon hearing it made his heart race. Then he figured he should give Basil his gift too. It was nowhere near as neat or pretty as his handiwork, but he handed it to him anyway.

“Are these chocolate flowers? They’re really cute! I like that the petals are pink.”

Sunny pointed to his pink flower clip. “Just like yours.” 

“Oh! You’re right.” Basil held it up to his hair and giggled. “It matches—I love it! Thank you so much!”

Sunny nodded. Then he paused, not quite able to meet Basil’s eyes. What now? Now that they’ve given each other their gifts, what was next? In the movies, the characters would exchange some heartfelt words and then kiss. There was no way Sunny could do the latter thing, and he was no good with words, but he’s gotten this far. He could try.

“Basil…” he started. 

Basil’s head snapped to him. “Y-Yes?”

Sunny thought for a second. Couples held hands too, didn’t they? Sunny could try that. He tentatively reached for Basil’s hand. Uneasily he grasped at it. He felt Basil flinch; when he looked up, Basil was biting his lip again. Sunny worried that he was doing the wrong thing, but Basil gave a tiny, nervous nod. Sunny still didn’t really know what to say, but he could start with some facts. 

“I’m always happy to see you. I like seeing everyone, but you especially.”

Now came the hard part: how he really felt. Sunny felt too nervous to look him in the eye, so he looked at his hair clip instead.

“I’ve… been feeling nervous around you. Like the other day. When you were close to me, and you—” he wanted to say _kiss_ , but it embarrassed him too much— “the thing you did the thing with the bandage, I…”

Sunny faltered. He was getting nervous, but he was so close. He took as deep a breath as his lungs could handle. 

“You’re my friend, and I think… something else, too. I really like you, Basil.”

He felt Basil go still. When he snuck a glance at his face, Basil was turning as pink as his hair clip. He looked back at him, eyes shining with emotion. Sunny wanted to say more, maybe ask him if he was okay, but his lips wouldn’t cooperate with him. He spent all his mental energy on saying all those things, so now he felt all shy. Too shy to speak. Whatever happened next was up to Basil.

Basil didn’t speak for a few moments. Then he set down his flower chocolates and reached over with his free hand. It came right by Sunny’s face, stopping just short of cheek.

“I… Sunny… I really like you too.”

Sunny’s breath caught in his throat. Basil giggled uneasily.

“Sorry, I can’t be much more original than that. But, when I look at you, I can’t help but feel really happy. I always look forward to spending time with you. Like I said earlier, you make me feel brave when I’m scared, you’re really good at listening, and you’re always so considerate of me. You make all my worries fade away.”

Basil’s fingers barely brushed against Sunny’s cheek. Tingles immediately shot down his spine and he shivered.

Startled, Basil backed off. “Sunny? I’m sorry if I—”

Sunny didn’t need words this time. He leaned to press his cheek into his palm.

“O-Oh…”

Then, he began to brush his thumb gently against his cheek. His hand was cool against his face. He moved so slowly that Sunny wouldn’t have felt it if he wasn’t so hyper-aware of every touch. When his fingers grazed near his ears, Sunny felt like he could melt into him. He closed his eyes.

“Sunny,” Basil breathed. Despite speaking more quietly, he sounded closer. His voice was sweet to Sunny’s ears. “You’re so amazing. I feel like I could do anything when I’m with you. Like I’m walking on clouds. So...”

When he hesitated, Sunny opened his eyes and almost jumped. Basil _was_ a lot closer… but Sunny didn’t feel like moving away. 

“Sunny, can I…?” Basil’s eyes darted down ever so slightly, almost too fast for Sunny to see. He was worrying his lips again. 

All Sunny could see was pink. Pink in the sun setting behind Basil, pink in Basil’s hair clip, pink in his cheeks, pink in his lips. Sunny had been so hesitant and embarrassed by the prospect before, but the answer rose to him easily now. 

“Yeah.”

If it was from Basil, it was okay.

Basil smiled. “Okay.”

Basil leaned in. He stopped for a second, his breath washing over Sunny’s lip, and then he swiftly closed the gap. 

Something burst within Sunny’s chest, fizzing up in him and filling him from head to toe with a million different feelings. It was overwhelming at first, but as he drank it all in, he could distinguish the parts. The sensation of lips against his, the lingering taste of strawberry and chocolate in his mouth, the echoes of _I really like you too_ … If all the separate parts were an orchestra, they all played towards one thing. Basil. His song. The melody that made his heart soar, the harmony that made him feel he could float away.

Then Basil pulled away. The last few notes resounded in Sunny’s chest.

“Sunny…” Basil whispered.

“Basil,” he whispered back.

Basil looked like he was going to say something else, but the wind began to blow. The temperature dropped a few degrees.

“Oh, yikes, that’s cold,” Basil said with a shiver.

Sunny felt like this was the equivalent of the curtain having long fallen, and it was time to file out of his seat and towards the exit. 

He said, “I think… I should go home.” 

But he didn’t want to. He just kept sitting, holding Basil’s hand.

This time, Basil understood. He smiled, so tenderly that Sunny could feel his heart ache. “Polly can call your mom and ask if you can stay the night… would you like that?”

Sunny pressed his answer into Basil’s lips. He kissed Basil, enjoying the little noise Basil made in his throat. But the wind blew again, making Basil shiver and pull away. It was only the second time it happened, but Sunny was starting to dislike inconvenient things coming between him and Basil. 

“Sorry, but we should go inside. We can, um, continue there,” he offered shyly.

Well, Sunny could agree with that. He stood and went inside towards the couch, gently pulling Basil along with him. They settled on it just like they always did, but this time, things were different. Better. Sunny still wanted to kiss Basil, but just touching him, cuddling him, and sharing his warmth… Those things always made him feel sleepy. And safe.

“I’m not against this, but we still have to ask your mom first if you can stay,” Basil reminded him with a laugh.

Sunny curled up closer to Basil.

“I’m staying.”

Basil laughed again. He rested his head on Sunny’s, and Sunny felt content. He didn’t fight it when his eyes began to close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _dolcemente - an indication to play in a tender, adoring manner; to play sweetly with a light touch_

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading my fic! comments are always appreciated! hope you have a lovely day ♡


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